The Audacity of Demons Read online

For all I knew Nova could be training us for some kind of supernatural hunger games, pitting us against each other. Everything here could be an illusion. Everything could be a lie.

  Trust issues? Just a little.

  “No?” Nova repeated the word like he’d never heard it before. As an incubus, I assumed he probably hadn’t.

  “I don’t trust you.” Ignoring the pain in my hand from punching him in the face, I braced myself. Somehow I suspected that Nova wouldn’t let me out of this that easily.

  “Nor should you.” He shrugged off my protest, then lunged at me.

  Naturally I darted backward, trying to stay out of reach. He caught me by both arms and threw me. I hit the floor with a grunt and rolled back to my feet. Already he was there, throwing a psi ball big enough to take me down. I threw myself to one side, catching only a portion of the attack. Both hands raised, Nova kept coming at me, forced me into a defensive stance. He threw a ball of spinning fire. I dove out of its path seconds before it struck.

  Was this necessary?

  It didn’t matter. I had no time to argue with the demon, while he launched attacks that forced me into defense. Although I’d faced my share of vampires with unsavory intentions, I’d never fought a demon. Protecting myself meant revealing that I possessed blood magic. I refused to show my hand before everyone else at the table.

  Except Nova didn’t leave me much choice. Back against the wall, I gave in. My hands came up, my fingertips alive with a brilliant red glow. The blood in my mouth supercharged the power that surged forth.

  It slammed against Nova’s chest. The charge forced him from my personal space. Not only that, he skidded on his ass across the polished gym floor.

  Picking himself up, the demon’s gaze narrowed as he frowned in my direction. While I stood ready for his retaliation, he turned to the others who watched in strained silence.

  Nova pointed to Adam. “Let’s see what you can do.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Dalyn’s hand flew to her mouth, and she stared at me with earnest blue eyes. “Sorry! Did I hurt you?” For a human she had a surprisingly strong arm.

  I touched my throbbing nose, happy to find it blood free. “You punched me in the face. Of course it hurt. But we’re cool. We’re sparring. It’s gonna happen.”

  After Nova had individually felt out each of us, he paired us up for some light sparring.

  Dalyn winced apologetically. “I have two older brothers who both made sure I knew how to throw a punch before they went off to university. A good right hook is pretty much all I bring to a fight, aside from some classic hair pulling and eye gouging.” She shrugged and tucked a stray strand of hair behind an ear. As a witch, her greatest strength would likely be casting spells.

  I waved a dismissive hand. I could take a punch and worse. “Never underestimate the power of a good eye gouging.” I shook a finger at her before taking a halfhearted swing.

  Dalyn’s bubbly laugh revealed her nerves. Hell, I was nervous myself. I’d been on edge since the shot that threw Nova on his ass. I kept waiting for him to seek some kind of payback, but he had yet to speak to me.

  Taking advantage of the roomy space we’d split into pairs and spread out. Nova and Rayne stood on the far side of the gym, near the door, talking as they watched us. I couldn’t help but wonder what their stories were. How did they draw The Circle’s attention? The lack of sadistic flair in Nova’s efforts made me believe he didn’t want to be here any more than we did. The demon was going through the motions, doing as he was told.

  “Let’s call it a night.” Nova’s voice echoed through the vast room. “Frankly, I’m sick of looking at all of you, and I have somewhere else to be. Spell casters head to the other wing where you’ll meet with our resident witch, Retta. She will assess your baseline magic level. Everyone else is dismissed until tomorrow evening. Rest up. The best way to see what you’re up against is to go into the field and shake up some FPA shit. Some of you will be doing that sooner than others.”

  Thank goodness. I wanted nothing more than a soak in that tub.

  “Blaze? Can you stay behind a moment?”

  “Fuck,” I muttered, louder than I intended.

  It earned me a frown from Nova and a snicker from Ghost who sidled up to me on his way out. Leaning in close he spoke in raspy, panty-dropping tones. “Feel like joining me for a nip tonight, baby girl? I’ll wait for you.”

  Why did this man sound like sex? Every word that came out of his mouth flashed me right back to our encounter. My palms grew hot, and I rubbed both hands on my pants.

  “I’ll find you,” I promised in a whisper.

  Striding toward Nova. I took my time, hoping the flush of heat that swept me would fade by the time I reached him. I had no hope of hiding my attraction to Ghost from the incubus.

  Nova’s frown deepened as I drew closer. He waited until everyone else had left before getting right to it. “You possess blood magic. Why were you trying to hide it? You were trying to hide it, weren’t you?”

  “Would you have shown off everything you were capable of if you were in my position?” Countering with a question of my own, I crossed my arms and steeled myself for more questions. I was no wilting flower, even under his intimidating glower, but I fucking hated questions. Spilling my guts didn’t come easy. Sharing required trust.

  “Probably not,” Nova conceded with a slight bow of his head. “But that was the point of the exercise. To show me what you can do so I can help you become the absolute best at it. The Feds are training their people to excel. So am I.”

  I nodded and puffed a stray hair from my eyes, certain my braid was a disheveled mess. “I get that. But I don’t have a reason to trust anybody in this place, least of all the demon who forced me here.”

  “Nobody?” His gaze flicked to where Ghost had disappeared with everyone else. “It looked like perhaps you already know some of the other residents.”

  Did Nova care if Ghost and I had any prior knowledge of one another? If the demon saw me or any other woman here as fair game, he had another thing coming. I might be forced to do The Circle’s bidding, but my personal life was not up for discussion.

  “Ghost and I have met once or twice before,” I said, giving him the shortest version possible. “That doesn’t mean I trust him. I don’t trust anyone. I learned that lesson long ago.”

  “Is that so?” A dark brow arched, Nova studied me with an uncomfortable intensity. Like he could see into my soul. To the truths hidden there. “We all have that person responsible for our complete lack of trust.” His voice softened, and the atmosphere grew warm and calm. Inviting even. “Who was yours?”

  I found myself relaxing as some of the tension slipped away. “My father was the first person to show me that you can’t put your hope in anyone but yourself in this world. The vampire who turned me only reinforced that belief.” I almost bit my tongue to stop the flow of words before I could say more. This was not a subject I shared with anyone. In fact, I did all I could to bury my memories of both of them.

  At the age of eighteen my widower father had promptly wiped his hands of me, selling me to the highest bidder, a business arrangement to help him save our family home.

  I’d had nothing and no one. What could I do? At the time I’d felt so powerless.

  The bank still took the house and my father drank himself to death in some seedy brothel. My new husband was a weak man who’d gotten rich fast. He gambled himself poor even faster.

  Gambling. His vice. It made and broke him. It literally killed me.

  After almost six years of evading my husband’s advances and stockpiling cash to make a run for it, my freedom was again stolen. My husband lost his young bride on the poker table to Remington Stark.

  Running from a vampire proved much more difficult. Rem barely let me out of his sight.

  Memories of the night he’d turned me threatened to surface. I snapped out of the past with a jolt. No, I wouldn’t go back there.

  For a moment
it had felt easy to tell Nova what I hadn’t said to anyone for a very long time. As the sensation grew into a sensual calm, I caught up to reality. “You’re manipulating me into talking,” I accused, backstepping away from him. “A perfect example of why I don’t trust anyone.”

  Nova didn’t budge. He let me put a solid ten feet between us. Once the strange feeling ceased, I stopped my retreat.

  Upper lip curled in amusement Nova gave an unapologetic shrug. “Blood magic is rare in vampires. I could teach you how to use it so it doesn’t burn you out so fast. Have you ever used symbol magic to guide it?”

  Anger licked hotly up the back of my neck. So easily he’d gotten inside my head and I’d barely noticed. Being alone with him felt especially dangerous. If he seduced me, would I even know? Or would I be fully immersed in the illusion of lust he projected?

  “No, I can’t say that I have.” Taking one slow step backward followed by another, I continued to edge away from Nova, toward the door.

  Panic threatened to choke me. Again my freedom had been taken. This time my captor twisted my will. So used to being the intimidator, I wasn’t prepared for an incubus like Nova.

  “You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin.” Nova took a few steps toward me, hands held up in a show of harmless intent. “What’s wrong? I promise not to bite.” To accompany that claim he flashed a grin with fangs far deadlier than mine.

  Yeah, I’d played the harmless monster card myself a time or several dozen. I wasn’t buying it. “Nothing. I just don’t think I should have to be subjected to your manipulations. It’s bullshit. And put your hands down. You look like an ass.”

  Fear made me angry and anger made me reckless. Even with my life on the line, I was ready to lash out if it meant protecting the only thing that mattered to me: my freedom. An incubus’s power precluded freedom. A forced seduction, hypnotic and commanding, I wanted nothing to do with it.

  “It wasn’t a manipulation.” Letting his hands drop, Nova continued to advance on me. For every step back I took, he took one forward. “Merely a calming of the atmosphere so you would relax. Clearly you have no idea what I’m capable of.”

  I’d hoped he’d let me leave, but as I got closer to the door, he quickened his pace. A ridiculous attempt to get under my skin, we both knew he could stop me if he wanted to. What kind of game was he playing here?

  With a flick of Nova’s wrist the large double doors swung shut, sealing me in with him. Bracing myself, I still wasn’t ready for it when he backed me up against the closed door.

  Capturing a stray piece of my hair, he twisted it around a finger. “Would you like to know what I’m capable of, red?” Leaving a precious few inches between us, he didn’t actually touch me, yet I felt his caress. Nova gazed into me, his eyes smoldering. “Because I would very much like to show you.”

  His close proximity had my veins burning up with adrenaline. I couldn’t be sure if it was fueled by fear or excitement. As I stared up into his gorgeous face, I found my curiosity piqued.

  “Are you asking for permission?” Heart caught in my throat, I was torn between wanting to slap his hand away and wanting to close the gap between us. Knowing that he wasn’t the cause of my inner conflict, I cringed on the inside.

  “Of course.” Nova twisted the crimson strand tighter around his finger, the sensation like a circling tornado of butterflies in my stomach. “What kind of monster do you think I am?” A wicked-as-hell Cheshire Cat grin lit up his face.

  Flustered, I tried to make words out of my confusion. I was both attracted to Nova and frustrated by him. The guy was damn sexy and he’d asked permission. Though he was close enough for me to feel the warmth of his body, he didn’t push my boundaries physically or mentally. But he could have obliterated my resistance, and we both knew it.

  “I hope that’s a rhetorical question,” I managed to say, trying not to stare at the finger he had wound in my hair.

  Heady vibes emanated from him, like he couldn’t help but taint the very air with erotic flavors. “So I guess that’s a no then. No worries, beautiful. It’s just a matter of time until your curiosity gets the better of you.” With a chuckle that held a charm of its own, Nova pulled away. “Grab a dagger off the wall. You’re coming out with me.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “Don’t demons drive?” I stared at the black Jeep SUV in the garage around the side of the house, wondering why Nova shoved keys into my hand.

  “Not this one. Now get in and stop referring to demons like we’re all the same. Would you like it if I grouped you in with all vampires?” Without waiting for a response, Nova jerked open the passenger door.

  I didn’t give a damn how he grouped me. Flipping a middle finger at the vehicle, I glanced back at the house. Ghost stood on the third-floor balcony smoking a cigarette. Our eyes locked across the distance. I lifted my shoulder in a muster of a shrug before turning to get into the Jeep.

  The thought had crossed my mind that Nova decided to drag me out with him after overhearing Ghost ask me to join him. I’d known the demon only a day, so I didn’t see why he’d do that. Even if he had some kind of attraction to me, it meant nothing. He was an incubus. I assumed he was attracted to nearly everyone.

  “For your information,” Nova prattled on as I adjusted the seat settings, “I have no need or desire to drive. I can get from one place to another in seconds. We’re only taking this manmade deathtrap because you don’t have such handy abilities.”

  Reaching for the rearview mirror, I moved it about until I could see properly out the back window. Next to the Jeep sat a bright blue Dodge Challenger.

  “Whose car is that?” I jerked a thumb at the sleek muscle car.

  “That tacky thing? That’s how Rayne makes up for his small dick, I’d wager.” Nova laughed to himself.

  As soon as we’d stepped out of the house, his demonic attributes disappeared. Sans wings and horns, he seemed so human. No wonder demons could move so easily among people. I’d never make the mistake of forgetting what lurked beneath the lie he wore.

  Starting the engine, I flicked on the lights and backed out of the garage. My last car had been a personality-free import that had been stolen from the apartment complex parking lot a few months ago. I hadn’t seen it since, and I had yet to replace it. In a city with cabs and Uber as well as public transit, it hadn’t been a pressing need.

  Not to mention my tendency to be a bit of a tightwad.

  My bank account was in decent shape thanks to my frugal choices, and I liked to keep it that way. I’d left Rem’s house with nothing but the jewelry he’d gifted me and started a new life using the money it fetched. My nest egg had built in a slow but steady uphill climb. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t done some shady shit to get by.

  Even though I could afford a house in the nice part of town and a flashy car to go with it, I preferred not to draw attention to myself or waste resources. I knew how fast they could go when one watched the decades pass. Instead I invested in startup businesses, saving my earnings.

  Glancing over at Nova as I turned out of the driveway onto the decrepit street, I found him watching me like a lion in wait for a gazelle. But I’d stopped being a gazelle decades ago. I had no intention of acting like one now. If standing my ground with Nova didn’t work, I’d go down fighting.

  “So you and Rayne aren’t friends then? Or is that just how you talk about your friends?” We eased up to a red light. “Where am I headed?”

  Nova produced a phone from his pocket. Scrolling through something he responded. “Take a left. Head south, toward Whyte Ave. Don’t turn right onto the avenue though. We’ll come up on a side street. And no, colleagues are not friends. What did I tell you about getting attached?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I heard you. No disagreement here. I’m not the attachment type anyway.” As instructed I guided the SUV through the city toward our destination. I could feel Nova’s gaze on me in the dark, only to flit away before returning again. It grew increasi
ngly difficult not to hiss expletives in his direction.

  “I noticed,” he remarked absently while fiddling with the radio settings on the touch screen in the center of the dash. “After tailing you for a few weeks and not once seeing you with anyone of substance, I pegged you for a lone wolf—just a figure of speech but you know what I mean.”

  My entire body went cold. He’d watched me for weeks? “A few weeks? Is that standard?”

  Jabbing a finger at the screen in frustration, Nova swore. “I had to catch you in the act. Unlike some of the others you’re not dumb enough to make a public kill two nights in a row.”

  Some might assume a vampire could exist just fine without killing, taking just enough blood to appease the bloodlust. That worked… for a while. Eventually the need to kill grew strong enough that it was going to happen whether we wanted it or not.

  So I chose to control my kills by selecting my victims in advance. Watching them. Planning for them. And though that might make me sound like the monster some think I am, I found it a hell of a lot smarter than losing control and snapping on some random person. But here I was, paying the price for my careful selection right alongside those who hunted without discretion.

  Irritated but wary of saying the wrong thing and incriminating myself further, I said, “I haven’t let myself lose control in decades. So I left a dead guy in a strip club a few times. So what? Humans do far worse to each other, and nobody has ever cried vampire over it. I don’t deserve to be here.”

  So much for not saying the wrong thing. The words poured out, refusing to stop. A fitful day of sleep in a strange bed in a stranger house had left me restless and bitchy. If Nova or The Circle wanted to kill me over being angry about my shitty circumstances, then so be it.

  Nova let a minute pass in silence. He gave up trying to get the screen to do what he wanted and turned to better assess me in the slant of streetlights passing overhead. We rolled up to another red light, and I dared a glance at him.